Gulfood 2026 | Trade Mission

The next edition of Gulfood will be held from January 26 to 30, 2026, spread across two venues to accommodate its exceptional growth and increasing popularity: the Dubai World Trade Center and Dubai Expo City.

Why participate?

In 2026, Gulfood enters a bold new era, remaining the world’s largest food and beverage trade show. Now twice as big! For the first time in its history, the world’s largest food supply exhibition will offer a more expansive, immersive, and strategically connected edition than ever before.

Gulfood is the international benchmark for the food community and the most recognized exhibition for business transactions, expertise, and networking. It is the ultimate opportunity for retailers, suppliers, distributors, wholesalers, chefs, opinion leaders, and many others to discover the latest innovations, meet key industry players, and explore the trends and innovations that will shape the future.

With over 6,500 exhibitors, 130+ countries represented, and 12 key sectors, including a brand-new technology section and forward-looking platforms, Gulfood 2026 will not only reflect the current state of the food industry, it will define its trajectory. With strategic alliances, record participation, and a renewed commitment to sustainability, innovation, and global food security, this exhibition is where supply chains are reinvented, partnerships are redefined, and the architecture of global food is redesigned.

Trade Mission – Agri-Food Export Group

The Agri-Food Export Group invites you to participate in a trade mission as part of this must-attend trade show. It’s a unique opportunity to showcase your products on the international stage!

Gulfood Trade Mission Program:

• January 26 to 30, 2026:
  • Agri-Food Export Group 9m2 booth in the Canada Pavilion at Gulfood;
  • Includes 1 exhibitor r badge and 1 visitor badge;
  • Limited space in a showcase at the booth.

• Breakfast: networking event
• To be confirmed: store tour
• Representation of the Export Group at the booth

Price:

• Participation in the trade mission: $1300

Market Data 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federal state comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Fujairah, and Ras al-Khaimah, all located on the Arabian Peninsula. The country has a population of over 11 million, nearly 90% of whom are immigrants. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are international trade hubs and world-renowned cities.

In 2020, the main agri-food and seafood products exported to the UAE were: milled rice, canola seeds, food preparations, and cigarettes (tobacco). The main exporting countries were India, the United States, Brazil, and the European Union.

Canada ranked as the fifth largest exporter of agri-food and seafood products to the UAE, with exports totaling C$986 million, representing a 5.1% market share. The main Canadian exports included: canola seeds, lentils, durum wheat, common wheat, and hulled peas.

Financial assistance for participants

Reimbursement of a travel lump sum of $2,600 per person, for a maximum of two lump sums per company.

• To benefit from the lump sum reimbursements, the company must absolutely provide proof of travel (e.g. airline, train, bus ticket, etc. with complete itinerary or gas receipt near destination) AND proof of accommodation (e.g. official hotel invoice, AirBNB, etc.).
• To obtain two travel lump sum reimbursements, the same proof mentioned above is requested for each reimbursement.
  • If the two people share the same transportation (e.g. carpooling), two separate proofs of accommodation will be required and the name of the company or traveler must appear on them (e.g. two hotel bills).
  • If the two people share the same accommodation, two separate proofs of transportation will be required (e.g. two airline tickets).
• A flat-rate supplement of $500 will be granted if your business is located in one of the following regions AND the departure also takes place from that region: Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Côte-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec.
• Group Export reserves the right to request any additional supporting documentation.

By registering to this event, you agree to complete and return the activity report which will be forwarded to you shortly. You will have 60 days following the event to send us back the completed report, otherwise you may be required to reimburse the subsidies received for this activity. The data that will be compiled is for the sole purpose of evaluating the economic benefits of this activity.

Cancellation policy

The Group Export Agri-Food is a non profit organization who manages export financial programs from the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec and from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

As an administrator of government programs, Group Export had to implement a cancellation policy which applies for trade show participation. Policy’s details are as follows:

When a participation or registration form is completed by a representative of a company, this company becomes liable to the Group Export Agri-Food, as this form is a contract between the company and the Association.

• In the five days following registration, the company must pay, as a deposit, 50% of participation fees. This amount can either be paid by check, direct deposit or credit card by contacting the Group Export’s financial department at 450-649-6266. Direct deposits are preferred.
• The remaining 50% of participation fees must be paid at least 60 days before the activity.
• If the company does not respect these terms, Group Export Agri-Food has the right to cancel the company’s participation.
• When a company is cancelling its participation:
  • If the company or Group Export Agri-Food finds a replacing participant, the full amount will be reimbursed, except for a $200 administration fee, as soon as the replacing participant has paid in full the amount due.
  • In case a substitute cannot be found, all other incurred charges, including 100% of the invoice for a space reservation, would be charged to the company.
  • All cancellations must be made in writing and be addressed to the person in charge of the trade show, whose name appears on the registration form.

This policy was endorsed by the Group Export Agri-Food’s Board of Directors, on February 14, 2008.

Eligibility for Participants

To qualify as a participant, the company must:

• Meet all eligibility criteria for provincial subsidies applicable to this activity.
• Hold a license number from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) or demonstrate that it is not required for its type of business.

The Group Export reserves the right to refuse any registration for this activity.